Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Bonjour Friends,

Whew! What an incredibly busy (but great) week, it is so good to get back to the blogging world. I have been just aching for Paris lately (what's new, right)! I always get a pang to go when I read your beautiful blogs, see gorgeous photos, and look at fine art.

During a conversation with my husband over dinner tonight, I thought a lot about the painter Jean Beraud and his subtle and elegant paintings. Here is a little bit about him and some of his work. Enjoy!

La Soiree

Born in St Petersburg in 1849, the son of a French Sculptor, Béraud moved to Paris to complete his law studies at the Lycée Bonaparte. Béraud exhibited his paintings at the Salon for the first time in 1872. However, he did not gain much recognition until 1876.

Béraud's work was greeted with great enthusiasm and he was welcomed into Parisian society receiving many commissions for portraits from famous figures such as the Prince d'Orleans and Prince Troubetskoy. He attended many of the evening soirees arranged by the popular hostesses of the time and frequently depicted these scenes in his paintings.

He frequented the same cafés, restaurants and theatres as Dégas, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec and was close friends with Manet.

La Modiste Sur La Champs Elysees

He exhibited with the Society of French Watercolorists at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. He painted many scenes of Parisian daily life during the Belle Époque in a style that stands in between the academic art of the Salon and that of the Impressionists.

He received the Légion d'honneur in 1894.

Béraud's paintings often included truth-based humour and mockery of late 19th century Parisian life.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Béraud dedicated less time to his own painting but worked on numerous exhibition committees, including the Salon de la Société Nationale.

Béraud never married and had no children. He is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery beside his mother.

La Bal Mabile

The work of Jean Béraud is represented in museums in Liège, Lille, Tours and Troyes, France.

This is a great post - and the paintings are gorgeous. The last one looks more Impressionist than the others, doesn't it? But I'm viewing it on a 12" screen, so it's hard to tell. I like details, so I'm very fond of the first one. There's a lot going on in that tableau if one looks closely!Wonder what it was like, living back then...

Dear Judith!Oh the detail of these dresses! Absolutely Amazing! Aren't those dinner conversations with our husbands so inspiring? My husband is constantly teaching & showing me things that he reads that I am too busy to take the time to read. Some of it has lead me to such beautiful places~ Thanks for sharing the best always!XOX'sJanet

I enjoyed this post very much - Beraud's work is so full of conversation, and movement. I love artists who are able to tell many stories with one piece of work. Thankyou for choosing so many fine paintings in an order that seems to tell a story of its own. How did the men choose between one beautiful exquisitely dressed woman, and another?!

Oh! These are fabulous...again my dear, thank you for the lovely gifts! They came in yesterday and I can't take my eyes off of how beautifully they go with my décor upstairs in my private space! Merci ma chèrie!Anita

I had never heard of this artist, being more of abstract/contemporary art type of person, but looking at these beautiful, refined detailed paintings transport you back in time. Are you going any time back to Paris?

Hello there, I discovered your blog by way of Google while searching for a comparable topic, your web site got here up, it seems to be great. I've bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.Hello there, just became alert to your weblog via Google, and found that it is really informative. I'm going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful when you continue this in future. Many folks can be benefited from your writing.